Philippines says “indispensable” Suu Kyi must be involved in Myanmar peace process
Manila, PhilippinesReuters Deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi is “indispensable” in restoring democracy to the military-ruled country and must be included in any peace talks, regardless of her conviction, the Philippines’ foreign minister said on Sunday. In a strong rebuke of the Myanmar junta that overthrew Suu Kyi’s elected government last year, Teodoro Locsin […]
Postcards: Power cuts heat up interest in Syria’s traditional bathhouses
FIRAS MAKDESI and KINDA MAKIEH, report for Reuters from Syria on how bathhouses have become a necessity in navigating ongoing power cuts…
Don’t discriminate against the unvaccinated, Amnesty International tells Italy
Milan, ItalyReuters Human rights group Amnesty International urged Italy to change tough anti-COVID restrictions to avoid discrimination against unvaccinated people. In a recent decree Mario Draghi’s government made vaccination mandatory for everyone over the age of 50 and for use of public transport and a range of other services, one of very few countries to […]
Updated: Australia, New Zealand step up efforts to aid tsunami-hit Tonga
Updated: 11am (AEDT)Sydney, Australia/Wellington, New ZealandReuters Australia and New Zealand dispatched surveillance flights on Monday to assess the damage in Tonga, isolated from the rest of the world due to the eruption of an underwater volcano that triggered a tsunami and blanketed the Pacific island with ash. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison pledged to provide […]
Gunmen kill more than 50 in Nigeria’s north-west, residents say
Kebbi, Nigeria Reuters Dozens of gunmen on motorbikes ransacked a village and killed more than 50 people in the latest violence in northwest Nigeria, residents said on Sunday. Gangs have been terrorising areas of the north-west in recent years, forcing thousands to flee and gaining global notoriety through mass kidnappings at schools for ransom. Local […]
Casualty reports awaited from tsunami-hit Tonga with comms mostly down
Wellington, New ZealandReuters Tsunami-hit Tonga remained largely uncontactable on Sunday with telephone and internet links severed, leaving relatives in faraway New Zealand praying for their families on the Pacific islands as casualty reports had yet to come through. An underwater volcano off Tonga erupted on Saturday, triggering warnings of 1.2-metre tsunami waves and evacuation orders […]
In the US, King family rally in Arizona for voting bills for MLK Day
Phoenix, Arizona, USAP As the nation prepares to mark the birthday of Rev Martin Luther King, Jr, some members of his family are spending it in conservative-leaning Arizona to mobilise support for languishing federal voting rights legislation. Martin Luther King III; his wife, Arndrea Waters King; and their daughter Yolanda Renee King, 13, took part […]
Ethiopia says WHO chief has links to rebellious Tigrayan forces
Addis Ababa, EthiopiaReuters Ethiopia’s foreign ministry has called on the World Health Organization to investigate its leader for supporting rebellious forces fighting the Ethiopian Government. WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who previously served as the Ethiopian health minister and foreign minister, said earlier this week that aid was being blocked from getting through to […]
Argentine towns sizzle amid “hottest days in history”
Buenos Aires, ArgentinaReuters Cities and towns in Argentina and neighbouring countries in South America have been setting record high temperatures as the region swelters during a historic heat wave. “Practically all of Argentina and also neighboring countries such as Uruguay, southern Brazil and Paraguay are experiencing the hottest days in history,” said Cindy Fernandez, meteorologist […]
Kazakhstan puts unrest death toll at 225
Almaty, Kazakhstan Reuters The bodies of 225 people killed in unrest in Kazakhstan last week, including 19 members of the security forces, were delivered to morgues throughout the country, the prosecutor general’s office said on Saturday. The figure included civilians and armed “bandits” killed by security forces, Serik Shalabayev, the head of criminal prosecution at […]